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Francois IV of France
Francois IV '''(4th June 1404 - 9th December 1460), known as ''the Great,'' was a monarch of the House of Valois who reigned as King of France and of Navarre from the death of his father Jean III in 1429 until his own death in 1460. Francois' 31 year reign is known to be one of the most prosperous and glorious periods in France's history, with English holdings on the continent being reduced to absolutely nothing by the efforts of King Francois. He was the son of King Jean III and Josephine of Bavaria, though he would greatly outdo his father's reign. King Francois IV has since become an example to future monarchs after him for how to successfully rule. He properly exerted his dominance over the formerly autonomous French lords, eclipsing the achievements of his father across his reign. The beginning of the King's reign took place in the context of the Hundred Years' War, which he set upon ending. By the end of his reign, there were no English holdings left on the European Continent, with him officially ending the gruelling conflict with French victory and French supremacy over the English Kings. Pre-Reign Life '''Birth and Early Years Francois IV was born at Hôtel Saint-Pol to Prince Jean, Duc d'Anjou, the cousin of the reigning King Louis IX. He was born during a turbulent time for the French monarchy, with the recently deceased Philippe IV leaving behind a weak and sickly heir, dominated by his council. Thankfully for Francois' status, his father was part of the council which dominated the reign of Louis IX. Francois was brought up in Paris, instead of Anjou as logic would dictate. His father wished to keep his family closer to the centre of power in Paris. Francois was born the third child of Prince Jean, following his elder sister Therese and elder brother Louis, though the latter would die nine years later. The tension of the Hundred Years' War was at its height during Francois' early childhood. The instability of Louis IX's government led France's forces being pushed back in the south, and English troops encroaching on Paris itself. The walls of Paris were under siege themselves, so for their own safety Prince Jean took his family and they fled the city under cover of darkness, feeling to the castle at Anjou in 1410. However, Queen Margaret took control of the situation, grouping together French forces and forced the English back into Normandy and away from Paris. Upbringing and Education When a temporary peace agreement was arranged in 1412, ending the fourth phase of the Hundred Years' War with minimal territorial changes, Prince Jean and his family returned to Paris. King Louis IX's government was now spearheaded by Queen Margaret, and so some sense of stability returned. The realm was still deeply fractured, with the power of the Dukes of Burgundy threatening to topple the balance of power. Francois, meanwhile, was appointed tutors in Paris. One of these tutors, Antoine de Dunois, would write to his father, "The pupil seems to possess a great and astute mind. He studies hard and shows devotion to his lessons, and does his best in all things. He never indulges before his work is done, and seems to have a complex understanding of everything I teach. He shows great promise, with an enthusiasm and energy I have seen in very few before. I see great things in his future, for he can accomplish them if he puts his mind to it." It was around this time that his elder brother, Louis, would die. This loss would shake and devastate the family, though it would also make Francois the eldest living son of his father and thus the heir to the Duchy of Anjou and a considerable fortune. In 1414, however, crisis would strike the Kingdom. King Louis IX died childless, though it had been found just a week earlier that Queen Margaret had become pregnant prior to the King falling into his final coma. His father was a great rival of King Louis' younger brother, and so he insisted on an interregnum until the birth of Queen Margaret's child, who the crown would go to if the child was born a boy. It was a tense nine months for the Kingdom, though Queen Margaret would make a valiant effort to maintain national stability with a regency during her pregnancy. Prince Jean would go to great lengths to assist the now Dowager Queen in keeping the nation running, whilst the ten-year-old Francois and his mother Josephine would attempt to deal with the family's personal affairs during this time. Eventually, Queen Margaret would birth a son, who was immediately named King Charles VI. Louis IX's younger brother, also named Jean, left the capital the same day. He presumably returned to his seat in Orleans, in an attempt to build up supporters to usurp the throne. The fateful night would come in mid-1415, a few months into the reign of Charles VI. Jean snuck into Paris with assassins and accomplices under cover of darkness, and murdered King Charles VI and Queen-Regent Margaret. Francois' father was almost also killed, but managed to slip away with his family and flee south, to find safety with the southern Lords. Reign of Jean II and Civil War Having fled Paris, Francois and his family fled south disguised as common servants. They first found refuge in Nevers, though the authorities of King Jean II were not far behind them. John, Count of Nevers, warned them of the oncoming men and they once again made out of a rear exit of the castle there. They first hid in a humble village, taking refuge with a well-off family for four weeks, as the authorities would not come looking for them there. By this point, the family were fugitives, and they had lost their wealth which had been stored in the castle at Anjou, undoubtedly in the hands of Jean II. They then found refuge with John II, Duke of Berry, who offered them safe passage with assistance through to Tours. Making it to Tours, they were now back within the Duchy of Anjou, where they could potentially make a stand against King Jean's authorities. They found the castle at Anjou remarkably untouched, with all their wealth still there. Francois' father sent messages rallying the lords of France to war against the tyranny of King Jean II. Many replied to the call, leading to the eruption of a massive war and instability. By now, civil war was erupting in France. Day by day, more great lords rose up against the authority of King Jean II, including many who had harboured the family on their way back to Anjou. His father had also raised a host, to help join up with many of the other rebelling lords to topple the King. The question of who would reign after King Jean II was a contentious issue, but the closest viable relation seemed to be Francois' father, who was a first cousin to King Louis IX and King Jean II. With the succession cleared up, the war would press on. Jean II would continue his reign of terror in Paris and around the Royal Demesne, leading to great instability there and leading to rebellions around Paris to compound to King Jean II's issues. By 1418, the cause of King Jean II seemed hopeless and implausible, though the King refused to surrender. The rebellions around Paris forced the King to retreat from the city in 1418, and it was captured by Francois' father's armies in late 1418. Jean II attempted to flee north, into Normandy, though he was caught by English authorities. With a substantial bribe, Francois' father had Jean II imprisoned and brought back to Paris and into his custody. With the tyrannical Jean II imprisoned, the war was ended. Ascension and Reign of Jean III Stability returned to France once again when Francois' father, who became King Jean III, stripped the former King Jean of all rank and status. He restored peace and order to the Kingdom once more, and set about removing the corrupt administration of Jean II. He arrested the captain of Jean II's personal guards, who had ordered the pursuing of his family on the order of the deposed King, and publicly burnt him in the sight of his good friend, the deposed King. He took away all comforts from his predecessor, a movement supported entirely by Francois. The instability brought on by the civil war took much time to heal. The now fifteen-year-old Francois, who had become Dauphin of France with the ascension of his father, did his best to assist his father in healing the scars left by the reign of Jean II. Confidence in the House of Valois seems to have been shaken in the aftermath of the conflict. As Dauphin, he played an important role as an adviser to his father, King Jean. The King saw great promise in his son from an early age. WIPCategory:Monarchs of France Category:Monarchs of Navarre Category:15th Century Births Category:House of Valois Category:Capetian Dynasty Category:15th Century Deaths Category:Good Rulers